Lafayette resident seeks flooding solution, city says its hands are tied

A Lafayette property owner say she’s had enough. She says her home has flooded once and she can’t afford for it to flood again. The Lafayette’s Department of Public Works explains why it’s out of the city’s hands.

The city says its unable to take action on the issue being it involves private property. “We need some of those trees cut down that blocks drainage because the debris collects there and it will collect.””

Jerie Olivier has lived in her town home for about 9 years. Olivier went before the city-parish council last week about a piece of property she says needs cleaned up or cleared out.

Olivier says the city has agreed to deal with that concern but while she waits, residents on her block need help with flooding.

“I hope the city can do something. It will help us so much because going through flooding again is just a disaster.”

Olivier says it’s not just her home but her neighbor’s as well. “My neighbor called me 4:30 in the morning saying ‘Jerie I got water.’ I went over and she’s sweeping.”

Olivier says the recent flooding of her home cost her thousands to replace the floor. That’s once for her but several times for others on her block. “None of us are rich enough to continue to have this problem,” Olivier said.

Nita Piccione lives across the street. “I have never flooded even in the flood of 2016,” Piccione stated.

Piccione is just hoping the city can provide her neighbors with any kind of drainage relief — sooner rather than later. “Tears of frustration. I see on my neighbors faces too many times and I just wish something could be done about it,” Piccione added.